A downside to term limits: Your Say

I applaud the ethics discussion about Washington politics in the Common Ground piece "We need an ethics check" but I do disagree with commentators Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel about the need for term limits for politicians.

I live in Arkansas, where we have had term limits for some time. This has been the worst thing to happen to our state government in my lifetime. The business of running government operations requires knowledge and experience.

Of course, fresh ideas keep the pool from stagnating, but please don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Imagine any large business or corporation firing a large percentage of its executives every few years, just as they had obtained complete knowledge of their business. This is a plan for failure.

Birkett Wootton; Little Rock

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Our elected and appointed government officials believe they are above the law. The corruption is deep and perpetual.

Term limits should be put in place to limit the collusive allegiance that develops between special interest groups, lobbyists, favor-seeking business people and corrupted members of Congress who remain in office term after term. That is just a start but would prove to be a good initiative in the fight against corrupt political activity.

— Bruce David Loeffert

Unfortunately, too may laws meant to combat corruption end up before the Supreme Court, which seems to believe that any restrictions are an affront to free speech.

— Roy DLucca

This isn't a problem with politicians but rather a byproduct of fame/wealth in all arenas. People are weak.